People do work that is interesting, meaningful and well-suited to their knowledge, skills and capabilities.

• All employees have clear role descriptions including areas of responsibility and accountability, which are updated regularly to include any aspects of the role which have changed or developed.
• Everyone understands how various tasks contribute to the “big picture”.
• There is variety of work within each role.
• Appropriate work within a role is assigned to that employee based on their skills, knowledge and experience. All team members can communicate what they are legally allowed to do and their level of competency so that work can be delegated appropriately.
• There is agreement between employee and employer about the scope of expected work, including any changes in scope.
• Veterinarians or veterinary nurses and technicians’ job content may recognise valuable non-technical skills and knowledge which add to the non-clinical or internal aspects of the business.
• Managers welcome employee-led discussions where an employee believes a role could be developed to make better use of their skills, or if they have concerns regarding tasks being assigned inappropriately.
• All team members are guided to consider and communicate their capabilities, interests, work needs and constraints to their manager and employer.

People have an appropriate and sustainable workload and help each other when exceptional circumstances arise.

• Flexible teams coordinate the provision of services to clients and maintain oversight of animal health, animal welfare and public health. Delegation and collaboration supports a manageable and fulfilling workload for all team members and builds varied knowledge across differing roles.
• All staff are provided with the training and support to appropriately prioritise and allocate time for work, including non-client-facing aspects, to prevent chronic overbooking. Contingencies for emergencies are built into scheduling.
• The organisation’s capacity to accept work is understood and appropriately acted upon by all team members.
• Stories about chronically long work hours, poorly supported work or extreme altruism are not glorified. The workplace culture celebrates conscientiousness accompanied by self-awareness of personal needs and limits, and the ability to discuss these constructively to find win/win solutions.
• All public-facing team members receive training and support to communicate to the public the business’s approach to accepting work, expectations of clients (for example around cancellation, payment, client behaviour and patient preparation) and work capacity or capability limitations.

Everyone is provided with the support they need to do their work well.

• Practical supervision, assistance and support for work is provided and based on identified need, irrespective of career stage. Continued learning is supported throughout all team members’ careers.
• At employment, and within regular performance review and development planning, employers and employees work together to identify any need for support and to agree on its form and extent.
• Recent graduates and trainee nurses are expected to require significant direct supervision from suitably experienced and capable professionals of good standing. Regular and frequent check-ins within the first 3-12+ months of employment occur until capabilities are demonstrated and confidence is strengthened.
• Direct supervision by suitably qualified staff occurs if/where unqualified team members perform roles that require technical (including medical) knowledge.
• Afterhours work is appropriately supported by trained nursing and/or veterinarian peers, based on personal and job need as agreed between the employer and employee. This can include support for both technical and non-technical reasons, such as safety and efficiency.
• The options for referral, inter-practice collaboration and/or specialist opinion or assistance are made clear to all veterinarians, and these collaborative professional relationships are maintained.

Employers and employees agree on realistic, anticipated and sustainable work hours and schedules which support a healthy work /rest-of-life balance.

• Work schedules are set in consultation with staff, to maintain and monitor workloads which are fair, anticipated, and which provide adequate time for all aspects of the job (such as client communications, record keeping, diagnostic interpretation, teaching and learning, management tasks and meetings).
• Any unforeseen work hours are infrequent, genuinely unanticipated and rewarded and/or recognised appropriately.
• There is a transparent and practical system in place to record and monitor hours worked, including any overtime and/or afterhours jobs, to ensure correct remuneration and identify patterns that may require workload adjustment. If “reasonable overtime” occurs, this is clearly defined and agreed upon.
• Workplace culture celebrates and supports boundaries between work and time on breaks or away from work. Individuals take responsibility for, and realise the value of, their own time and wellbeing and make conscious decisions about taking breaks.
• Appropriate breaks are scheduled and protected for physical and mental health. All employees are effectively quarantined from work when they are on breaks or rostered off.
• There are systems, and time within scheduled hours, in place to facilitate good communication and smooth transition of patient and client care between team members. All team members utilise these systems effectively to protect their own, and others,’ time off alongside animal health.
• Afterhours requirements are clearly communicated and agreed to. Maximum hours of continuous work, including fielding public enquiries, are recognised according to occupational health and safety legislation and employment laws.
• There is a clear policy about provision of veterinary services outside regular work hours, which aligns with the relevant state vet regulatory guidance. This is developed and reviewed in consultation with veterinarians within, and where necessary, beyond the business so that all team members understand their rights, responsibilities and available resources in providing afterhours care.
• The business and all team members proactively communicate to the public the afterhours service options offered. Any limitations in the level of supervision or hours of emergency service or hospitalisation provision, and any reasonably anticipated risks, are clearly communicated to assist the animal-owning public in their responsibility to understand and make provisions for accessing afterhours care.

Team members are empowered to make decisions and provide suggestions about how they do their work.

• Expected work and/or outcomes are clear and documented. Along with an understanding of organisational goals and values, the teamwork required and any relevant constraints, this gives employees autonomy in deciding how they and their team will successfully meet these goals.
• Initiative and flexibility is encouraged for a resilient workplace.
• When flexible working conditions or a change in employment hours, duties or scheduling is requested by any team member, employers, managers and employees work together open-mindedly to craft solutions and accommodate these requests wherever possible. Great workplaces recognise, respect and do not judge the many reasons – often personal – that flexibility or a different work-life balance is required.
• All team members recognise the possible impacts of flexible or part time work on the rest of the team, and work to support each other in their need for flexibility.